


Pretty

by marelicarter (padmefuckingamidala)



Series: Be Better [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Plus Size!Reader, Weight Issues, plus size
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 15:28:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18853864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/padmefuckingamidala/pseuds/marelicarter
Summary: You have a hard time getting ready for a party, but Steve knows how to make you happier.





	Pretty

She wonders how long she’ll hold herself back like this. In front of her is a dress that she bought two months ago in a size three times too small for her. Inspiration, people call it—she stares at the dress for a few minutes everyday until she decides she hates herself enough to workout until she’s sore.

Beauty is pain, and if she feels pain after a workout, that means she does it right. Losing weight is hard and exhausting work, but she reminds herself that it’s her own damn fault she’s heavy. It’s her own fault she’s shopping in bigger sizes when Wanda and Nat get to shop in a different department with prettier clothes and better prices.

The dress is too small. Even after a month, it’s painful and constricting, nowhere close to zipping the whole way, and it breaks her heart. She stands in front of the mirror in only a bra and her underwear, high waisted briefs that are supposed to help control the tummy, to smooth out her rolls and imperfections, but fabric can only do so much. Heartbreak sets in. She wants to put her hair up but the small bump of fat under her chin would be more prominent. This is all her own fault, and she kicks herself for it.

She just wants to look good for Steve. He’s a sweetheart, the sweetest guy she’s ever been with, which means he deserves more than a fat ass girlfriend. The harsh names against herself are thought of without hesitation. Curves and hills of fat encase the body she wishes looked better, more up standard. For fuck’s sake, a girl can’t just date Captain America and be out of shape!

A knock at the door interrupts her negative thoughts, jolting her from her daydreams and to reality, where she realizes she’s been crying. She wipes her makeup-free face from tears and hopelessness before covering herself with a soft, silk robe. “Come in,” she calls out, turning away from her enemy, the mirror.

Steve walks in and her heart melts with guilt. He’s beautiful. Absolutely stunning. His golden brown hair is well trimmed, getting a bit longer and due for a haircut but it matches the beard he’s growing. The usually clean-shaven man has traded his razor for a trimmer, opting to keep his face neat if he wasn’t completely smooth. He’s dressed so handsomely. Dress trousers and a button down shirt with a tie and suspenders, and damn, she can’t help but to give a soft sigh of content upon seeing him. 

“Hey,” he greets and kisses her temple. “You’re going bare-faced? I love it,” he murmurs in her ear, taking her hand in his. “Are you almost ready? Nat said Tony planned on leaving in ten.”

She glances at her dress on the bed. There… shit. She planned on putting makeup on. It was Peter’s graduation party, after all, hosted by Tony himself at a lavish, rented out banquet hall and the fanciest thing that would put other kids to shame. It was Peter’s one damn luxury he could have, and she feels like she’s ruining it by not putting on makeup. Too much time was wasted regretting her body, though, which meant she now has to forfeit it and find something to wear, something to make herself look somewhat presentable.

“You alright, sweetheart?” he asks.

She nods and turns away from him. If she speaks now she’ll crack. Her breathing is miraculously calm as she begins pulling different dresses out of the closet. Steve isn’t dumb, though, and he notices the one on the bed. “Oh, did the company send you the wrong size?”

“No.”

“No? This is a bit small, isn’t it?”

“I thought I could lose weight and fit into it, but I was wrong.” She pulls out a simple pale pink dress that she always wears. It’s her go-to dress that hugs her waist and stops down at her knees. It’s somewhat flattering, sure, but it’s tight and it bothers her sometimes. She wants a loose dress, something that would flow out when Steve spins her on the dance floor. Something that made her feel beautiful. She turns and sees Steve throwing the dress into the trash. “Hey!”

“You’re not going to fit into that for a while. At least not healthily.” He makes is way to her and cups her face. “The most important thing is to be healthy.”

“Skinny is healthy,” she says as if it’s a reminder. She doesn’t look at him. “I’ll get there. I just need more time.”

“You can’t get down to that size in less than a year, at least not healthily,” he sighs. When he sees she won’t look at him, he releases her cheek. “What if I told you I got you something?”

“Steve--”

“What kind of guy would I be if I didn’t get my girl gifts here and there?”

“The kind that listens,” she says, but she can’t stop the smile that creeps across her face.

“You’re right.” He goes into her closet and reaches in the back, way back--how had she not noticed something in her own closet?--and pulls out a dress bag. “I saw this and instantly knew it was made for you,” he murmurs as he sets the bag on the bed and pulls the zipper down. “How about this: you go put a little bit of makeup on, because I know you and I know you’ll hide the whole time if you’re bare faced despite how much I love it, and when you’re done, we’ll get you in the dress. Then you and I will drive separately to the party, you’ll turn heads, I’ll be overprotective, and we’ll dance the night away.”

“You have this all planned out,” she chuckles. The happiness mingles with shyness. “Can I just do minimalist makeup? Would that be okay?”

“Darling, you can do whatever you want. I think you’re beautiful either way.”

She fills in her eyebrows subtly, swipes on a little wing of eyeliner that compliments her eyes, and brushes on mascara. That leaves her hair; it’s a short, mousy brown that comes a little past her chin. It’s a bit retro when it’s straightened, 90’s from a glance, but she likes the simplicity of it. She lets the simple “beach waves” go, pinning a bit back and tugging here and there to create an effortless, casual look. Messy, she would even go as far to say.

She walks out to her bedroom to see Steve again. He looks at her like she’s his world, as if she personally strung the stars in the sky for him, and it makes her weak in the knees every single time. He holds out his hand. Fingers slowly touch and skin collides, magic happening just by the little connection made. She smiles at him as he lets go, pulling away to grab the dress from the bag. “I hope you like it,” he says softly. “I thought of you instantly.”

He pulls it out and holds it so she can step into, the dull periwinkle twisted and unable to be seen as it should be. The suspense kills her. Once it’s on and secure, she turns to the mirror and her heart nearly stops. Blue-gray hugs her body. The dress is tea length—her absolute favorite, her weakness—and it compliments her shape beautifully. The a-line dress has sleeves that stop at the elbow but a deep V of the neck, the collar dipping down between her breasts in a wide angle, and it’s perfect. It’s not hugging her too much, but it’s not a shapeless mess. She’s thankful for the sleeves that hide her arms, and she’s thankful for Steve because he knows, he just understands her so well.

“Steve—“

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen,” he says softly, swallowing the lump of pride in this throat. “You look stunning. This dress wasn’t made for anyone but you.”

“You’re just saying that.”

Shaking his head, his fingers find hers once again. “No. I’m… I’m being completely honest. You’re incredible. And I can’t wait to show you off tonight.”

Her heart is so full of love as she holds out her hand for him. “I just wish I could be better for you, Stevie. I wish I looked like I belonged on your arm.”

“Don’t be so tough on yourself,” he murmurs. Their hands clasp together and he pulls her close, breathing in the scent of her. “I love everything about you. Every inch of skin, every hair, every curve. I already have the best girl in the world, why would I want you to change?”

She smiles and looks up at him. His words replay in her mind, meaning everything to her. Before she can get distracted, she pulls her hand away and heads to her closet. “Let me get my shoes and we can leave.”

“You better hurry. I plan on dancing with you all night.”


End file.
